8 Reasons the Amazon Fire TV May Be the Perfect Streaming Device for You

If you're looking to ditch your cable company or just want the easiest way to access all your streaming television services, you should consider getting the Amazon Fire TV. It's arguably one of the best streaming devices money can buy. Here are eight reasons we recommend it.

1. Expansive app catalog

If you love watching TV and your list of binge-worthy shows grows each week, you'll be glad to know that the Fire TV by Amazon supports almost every streaming service you can subscribe to. Whether you want to watch Game of Thrones on HBO GO, House of Cards on Netflix, or Casual on Hulu, Amazon should have you covered. Its app store is also comprehensive and easy to navigate. Bonus: Your Prime subscription lets you access thousands of shows and movies, too.

Amazon's Fire TV includes a remote control with a built-in microphone. Just press and hold the top button to trigger a voice search. You can tell Alexa, Amazon's voice assistant, what show you want to watch and it'll tell you if it's streaming on Netflix, Hulu, or available for purchase elsewhere. You can just say "Leonardo DiCaprio movies," and it'll list DiCaprio's entire filmography. Voice search is a lot more convenient than having to type long phrases letter-by-letter with a remote.

3. Amazon X-Ray

Don't you hate it when you're watching a movie and see an actress you recognize, but you don't remember her name? Amazon X-Ray is a really cool and useful feature that eliminates this common (but annoying) problem. Just press the up button on the remote and a menu at the bottom of your screen will show up that lists the names of the actors who portray the characters along with their bios and filmography. X-Ray also tells you what music is playing during a scene.

4. Supports Third Party Apps

Because the Amazon Fire TV is powered by Android, you can easily side load all your favorite Android apps. Even if there isn't an app made specifically for the Fire TV, you can probably download the app's smartphone or tablet version. You can also install popular media apps like Kodi and Plex to your Fire TV, too.

5. Supports External Hard Drives

The Fire TV only comes with 8GB of storage by default. Fortunately, it supports external USB storage, which comes in handy if you download lots of apps, games, and movies. It's important to note though that the Fire TV doesn't have a media player installed by default for accessing and playing any media you store on the USB device. However, apps like Kodi and VLC can access and play all your files.

6. Amazon Prime Video

Chance are you have an Amazon Prime subscription that gives you access to thousands of television shows and movies. Oftentimes, Prime Video will carry shows much sooner than Netflix does (sweet!), and Amazon even has its own exclusive content. Shows like Transparent and The Man in the High Castle are must-watch Amazon-produced shows that you can't get anywhere else. It's worth noting though that not everything on Prime Video is free to stream.

Although it isn't as powerful as your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One and doesn't have as impressive graphics, the Fire TV doubles as a fun game console. Its App Store is loaded with thousands of fun games that can keep you occupied for hours. Games like Pac-Man 256 can be played with multiple players, and if you want to play shooting and strategy games, Amazon even sells a controller.

8. 4K Support

Amazon is ahead of the curve, and its Fire TV is one of the few streaming boxes that supports 4K content. If you have a 4K TV, you'll want to take advantage of 4K programming on apps like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Vudu. The only downside to 4K is that it requires a high-speed Internet connection. We also recommend using an Ethernet cable to plug your Fire TV directly into your modem or router so you have the fastest and strongest connection.

Brandon CarteTechnology EditorBrandon Carte has been the technology editor at BestProducts.com since 2017, where he's been covering the latest gadgets and scouring the internet for the greatest deals; His tech reporting has been featured on TopTenReviews.com and USA Today.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

This commenting section is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page. You may be able to find more information on their web site.